Tissue box bracket

ABSTRACT

A bracket mountable between the inner ends of automobile visors so that a tissue box may be mounted thereon by impaling said box by a piercing end of said bracket.

United States Patent- 3,214,059 10/1965 Stark .....248/311.x-

Dema 14s1-Aug. 22, 1972 1541 TISSUE BOX BRACKET 3,284,041 11/1966 Tjden"248/311 2' 607 398 8/1952 Andrews ..248/44 72 1 t 1 1 1 men igfigy St3,110,467 11/1963 Dubl ..24s/311 2,643,046 6/1953 Humphreys ..248/3l1 x[22] Flledz May 8, 1970 2 1 App] 5 5 Primary Examinerwilliam H. SchultzAttorney-Dominik, Knechtel & Godul a 52 us. c1. ..248/205, 248/302, 1[57] ABSTRACT 511 1111. C1 Q. .Q. ..Fl6m 13/00 vA bracket mountablebetween the nn r n f au- [58] Field 61 Search ..248l205, 311, 300, DIG.5; tomobile visors so w tissue box y be mounted 21 1/57 therjeon'byimpaling said box bya piering end of said bracket. [56] I ReferencesClted 1 Cl 7 M m y UNITED STATES PATENTS v PATENTEUmczz m2 FIG. 1

' FIG. 3

INVENTOR Joseph Demo --1' FIG- I $8012; g%&a.

ATTYS.

TISSUE BOX BRACKET This invention relates to an improved bracket forholding a tissue box in an automobile, and particularly relates to amounting bracket positionable between the inner ends of the automobilevisor so that the tissue box may be held upside down with easy access tothe projecting tissue sheets at the top of the box.

Owners of automobiles quickly appreciate the desirability of having abox of paper tissues available inside the car. The presence of such atissue box becomes even more desirable as the time period extends inwhich drivers or passengers remain in the car, in particular, longtrips.

A problem of continuing annoyance relates to the location andaccessibility of such tissue box or container. Attempts have been madeto mount such a' paperboard tissue box in an oversize rigid containerbelow the dashboard. The tissue box is held upside down within such acontainer so the the opening of thetop of thefbox extends downward. Thetissues, of course, extend one at a time out of said downward opening sothat they may be pulled free of the box by a downward motion of thehand. There are disadvantages to both the location and the accessibilityof such means because it is awkward to place a box within such acontainer and it is necessary to often grope with the hand before theextending tissue is located. Allowing the tissue box to rest freely onthe seat or other locations within the car is unsatisfactory because ofdifficulty in finding the box when needed, because the box could becrushed by the persons within the car, because such box could fall belowthe seat, and because of still other problems. Placing the tissue box onthe dashboard for sake of convenience to the driver and passenger isalso objectionable because of interference with the view of the driver.A further objection is that such a placement intrudes itself too easilyto the views of the passenger, therefore, being unsightly.

It is one important object of the present invention to provide animproved bracket for securely holding a tissue box in a highly desiredposition within the car for easy accessibility, while causing noproblems to driver or passengers.

Another important objectis to provide an improved bracket for a tissuebox which permits the box to be quickly mounted thereon, and to bequickly and easily removed for replacement after the tissues areexhausted.

The foregoing objects are attained together with still other objectswhich will occur to practitioners from time to time as they consider thedisclosure of the present invention which includes drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of an embodiment of the impaling tissuebracket;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the bracket shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view on a slightly enlarged scale, of thetissue bracket shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the impaling tissue bracket mountedto a visor assembly between the inner ends of a visor;

FIG. 5 is a view along lines 5-5 of FIG. 4, partly in section, with theadditional feature of a tissue box shown as mounted on the bracket;

FIG. 6 is a substantially sectional view, somewhat diagrammatic, showinghow the mounting means of tis sue bracket may be engaged with the visorassembly between the ends of the visor; and

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of an impaling tissue bracket illustrating analternative mounting means.

Referring to the drawings, a tissue impaling bracket which incorporatesthe teachings of this 1 invention shown generally at 10. The bracketincludes an elongated blade 12 which has a side-to-side dimensionsubstantially greater than the top-to-bottom dimensions. A piercing end14 is provided which is shaped to facilitate said end rupturing the endwall of the tissue box. In the form illustrated, a bevel 16 is providedwith its'opposite side formed on the radius as illustrated. This leadsto efficient action ,of the desired rupturing operation withoutpresenting any hazard to the user in dernounting or mounting a tissuebox.

Fixed to the mounting blade is a stop member shown as an angle plate 18.The angle plate includes a fastened arm 20 held to the bottom surface ofthe elon-.

gated plate by means such as welds 21. The angle plate has a dependingarm 20 which axis is substantially normal to the longitudinal axis ofthe blade 10. The end of the impaling bracket opposite to the piercingend is the mounting end'23. In the illustrated form, the mounting 'endis provided with a mounting aperture 24. For

reasons which will be better understood later, the stop mounting endthan to the piercing end. Stated in another way, the stop member 18 ispositioned a major distance away from the piercing end, and a minordistance away from the mounting end. The major distance may beconsidered as being more than one half the longitudinal distance of themounting blade, whereas a minor distance may be considered as being lessthan one half this distance.

The impaling bracket is shown mounted. in associated with a visorassembly in the view of FIGS. 4-6. In mounted position, the elongatedblade follows generally the roof assembly 25 of the automobile. Theimpaling bracket is shown mounted between visors 26, particularlybetween the visor inner ends 28. Pivot rods 29 extend from each of thevisor ends 28 to a visor assembly shown generally as 30.

The visor assembly, for purposes of the present invention, is theassembly of elements between the visor inner ends which cooperate insecuring the mounting end 23 of the impaling'bracket. In the illustratedform, a mounting plate 32 is shown which is held by fasteners such asscrews 34, one of said screws 34a in the mount- I ing plate being usedfor engaging mounting aperture with the roof assembly 25, may beconsidered as part of the visor assembly for an alternative way to'mountthe impaling tissue bracket. Such a molding strip is held to the roofassembly by mounting screws 39. The relationship of the molding strip tothe impaling tissue bracket will be later described.

It may be seen how the tissue box 42 is impaled on the bracket in upsidedown position with the top opening facing downward (not shown), and atissue 44 extending out of said opening in position to be grasped I .3 Iand withdrawn by a user. The tissue box 42 is mounted on the bracket byrupturing'end wall 46'of the box with the piercing end 14 ofthe'impaling bracket, and mov- 'ing the impaling bracket into the boxuntil end wall 46 abuts stop member, 18. The length of the elongatedblade issufficiently great so that it extends over a major distance ofthe longitudinal of the tissue box 42, as shown. The top surface of theblade non-rotationally dimension of elongated blade relative to itstop-to-bottom dimension.

' supports the bottom wall 47 of the tissue box. The nonrotationalsupport rises fromthe greater side-to-s'ide a The positioning of thetissue-box is desirable because there is no interference with the normaluse of the visors. If a-particular visor assembly does not permit theplacement described previously, then the alternative embodiment shown inFIG. 7 may be'employed. The

bracket has an elongated impaling blade 48,a piercing end 0 ,astopmember 52 held by welds or the like .54, Flcriients being generallysimilar to 'those described and associated with bracket 10. The end ofthe bracket opposite the piercing end 50 is,.however, provided withanoffsetarm portion 56 which axisis normal to the longitudinal axis-ofthe blade 48,*and a mounting arm portion 58 which axis isparallel'to'the longitudinal axis of the-mounting blade 48. The mountingend '60 of the bracket isprovidedwith a .mounting'aperture 62. The

secured to a screw such as 39 in the molding strip 38, while at the sametime allowingelongated blade 48 to extend substantially between theinner visor ends 28. It

offset arm portion 56 permits the mounting arm to be will be appreciatedthat mounting arm 58 may even be may be constructed from a variety ofmaterial,

although it has been found that spring steel is a highly- I 'usefulmaterial because it, permits the 'bracket to :resume its configurationfollowing displacement. Further, the spring steel will be urged towardsthe roof of the automobile to maintain the tissue box thereagainstl Whenspring steel is employed, the stop member 18 may likewise be a steelspring steel angle 'plate which is fastened by welds or the like to theelongated plate. It will be appreciated, however, that other materialsmay beused, including resilient type injacent'an automobile visor,including tegrally molded plastics. while the mounting eridof the e 1bracket has been having an aperture which a mounting screw, or the like,may pass to hold the bracket to parts of the visor assembly, othermounting means may be employedThis may include clamps, bonding tabs, orpiercing points which penetrate the.

upholstry of the roof structure 25. Various tissue boxes maybe usedincluding those where the individual tissues do not extend out of thebox.-Such tissue boxes allow the tissue to be individuallyremoved byplacing.

the fingers behind a flat'fold. Such boxes may be preferable when aprojecting tissue appearsin the rear view mirror and thereby tends topartially obscure vision. ecl girus tgge ipvention are now presented.

1. A tissue box bracket assembly-for mounting .ad-

atissue box imp'aled on a'bracket, said bracket being aunitary'body-having'an elongated, impaling blade of substantiallyuniform width and formedof spring steel, one end of said blade formed.into a piercing end for rupturing an end wall of the tissue box, saidblade having 'top and bottom substantiallyv flat surfaces so that thetop surface thereof serves asa support for the inside surface'ofthe'topof thetissue box, a spring steel angle stop member .having a fastenedarm fixed to the bottom'surface i I of the blade, said stop memberhaving'a flat depending with an axis substantiallynormal to thelongitudinal axis of said blade, said flat depending arm of the stopmember having a width substantially equal to the width of the blade andbeing planar so the depending'arm fully abutsthe' end wall of tissue boxwhen the impaling blade is inserted therein, the distance of said bladebetween said depending arm and said piercing end comprising at least amajor distance of the longitudinal axis of said tissue box, said majordistance of Y the arm extending over a major distance of thelongitudinal axis of a'tissue box impaled thereon, said piercing endformed by'a bevel on' the bottom surface, said bevel-extendingsubstantially to the opposite sides of the blade, such opposite sides ofthe 4 bevel formed on a radiusso that said end easily ruptures the endwall of a tissue box but provides no hazard to the user in mounting anddemfounting a tissue box, and the end of the bracket opposite thepiercing end provided with a mounting aperture to secure said bracket toa threaded fastener adjacent an inner end of an automobile visor.

' I t i

1. A tissue box bracket assembly for mounting adjacent an automobilevisor, including a tissue box impaled on a bracket, said bracket being aunitary body having an elongated, impaling blade of substantiallyuniform width and formed of spring steel, one end of said blade formedinto a piercing end for rupturing an end wall of the tissue box, saidblade having top and bottom substantially flat surfaces so that the topsurface thereof serves as a support for the inside surface of the top ofthe tissue box, a spring steel angle stop member having a fastened armfixed to the bottom surface of the blade, said stop member having a flatdepending arm with an axis substantially normal to the longitudinal axisof said blade, said flat depending arm of the stop member having a widthsubstantially equal to the width of the blade and being planar so thedepending arm fully abuts the end wall of tissue box when the impalingblade is inserted therein, the distance of said blade between saiddepending arm and said piercing end comprising at least a major distanceof the longitudinal axis of said tissue box, said major distance of thearm extending over a major distance of the longitudinal axis of a tissuebox impAled thereon, said piercing end formed by a bevel on the bottomsurface, said bevel extending substantially to the opposite sides of theblade, such opposite sides of the bevel formed on a radius so that saidend easily ruptures the end wall of a tissue box but provides no hazardto the user in mounting and demounting a tissue box, and the end of thebracket opposite the piercing end provided with a mounting aperture tosecure said bracket to a threaded fastener adjacent an inner end of anautomobile visor.